Water Hose Cooler

ABSTRACT

This invention provides an easy to use device used to store a hose compatible with a standard garden hose faucet connection upon an insulated drink cooler.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,136 filed on May 4, 2011 entitled Water Hose Cooler which claims the benefit of provisional U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 61/343,776 filed on May 4,2010 entitled Minute Mat, Memory Jack, Stick It Memory Gate Adjustable Eye Ball, Offset Adjustable Eyeball herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to water coolers and water cooler lids. More specifically, this application relates water cooler lids with integrated storage for a hose.

Water coolers provide drinking water at locations that normally do not have potable drinking water. Large coolers, however, can be difficult to fill up. The large size of a water cooler and its bulkiness does not make it easy to fill it up under a faucet. Using a hose makes filling the cooler easier, but a hose is not always available, and when it is, it likely contains contaminants, chemicals and heavy metals that can be toxic to the human body.

A need exists for a simple, robust, inexpensive lid for a water cooler that securely stores a drinking water safe hose.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a means to store a hose compatible with a standard garden hose faucet connection upon an insulated drink cooler. The invention contains a groove in which the hose is wrapped. In the first embodiment one end of the hose is secured to the lid by inserting the hose into a hole in the lid, while the other end of the hose is secured with an elastic cord or bungee. In a second embodiment, the hose is secured within a groove in the wall of the cooler itself. The groove is slightly narrower than the hose, allowing the hose to be retained by an interference fit with the walls of the groove. The hose allows the cooler to be washed rinsed or filled from a water faucet that may be otherwise too low to the ground to allow direct filling of the cooler. Having the hose removably attached to the cooler ensures that a drinking safe water hose is always available to use with the cooler.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the water cooler lid.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the water hose.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the water cooler lid.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the elastic cord hose end retainer.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention having a hose removably attached to the body of the cooler

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the invention with the hose partially detached.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the water cooler body being filled with water with the attachable hose.

FIG. 10 is a cross section of the water cooler body taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drawings illustrate an invention that enables an individual to easily store a hose upon the lid of a drinking water cooler.

FIG. 1 front view of the invention 1 sitting atop a drinking water cooler 2. The lid 11 securely fastens to the drink cooler body 2 and provides a recessed groove 28 in which a hose 70 can be wound. A bungee 30 having a hook on one end may be attached at the other end to the hose 70 to secure one end of the hose to the lid 11. The other end of the hose 70 may be secured by inserting it into an aperture 24 in the lid 11.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the lid 11 showing the upper surface of the upper lid hose guide 23 and outer side corner 15 of cooler insulated lid 11. The outer surface 13 of the recessed groove 28 is shown in broken line. The outer surface 13 of the recessed groove 28 defines the outside surface of a vertical cylindrical wall 31 which lies between the outside surface 13 of the recessed groove and the inner wall surface 33. A notch 16 is formed in the upper lid hose guide 23 to allow the bungee cord to recess inward holding the water hose tighter and closer to the center of the lid when pulled tight.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the hose 70 having a female end 78 and a male end 77. The hose tubing 70 is constructed from drinking water safe materials.

The housing threads 16 engage the water jet mounting plate threads 26 to secure the nozzle 24 to the housing 10. A connecting pipe can be inserted into the connecting pipe coupling 12.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the water cooler lid.

FIG. 5 is perspective view of the elastic cord hose end retainer.

FIG. 6 is perspective view of the invention 1. The hose 19 is wound around the outer body support wall 3. The hose 19 has a first end 17 and a second end 18. In the present embodiment, the first end 17 possesses a standard male garden hose fitting. It should be understood, however, that this first end may be left bare because it is used for filling up the water cooler. The second hose end 18 possesses a standard female garden hose fitting for attaching to a water faucet. In addition to the hose 19 being used for filling the water cooler 1, the hose 19 may also be used for rinsing or washing the cooler body 2 or lid 11.

To store the hose, the first end 17 is inserted into a hole 24 adapted to receive it. The second end 18 is secured with a bungee 41 having a first end wrapped around the female end 18 of the hose 19. The second end of the bungee 41 possesses a hook that is inserted into a hole in the top of the upper lid hose guide 13. A notch 16 is formed in the edge of the upper lid hose guide 13 to allow the bungee cord to recess inward, thereby holding the water hose tighter and closer to the center of the lid when pulled tight.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the invention 101 where the hose 119 is secured within a groove 131 formed in the outside surface 103 of the cooler body 102. The hose 119 is retained within the groove 131 by having a slightly larger diameter than the narrowest portion of the groove 131. FIG. 7 shows the hose 119 in a stored position. The hose 119 is nearly flush with the outside surface 103 of the cooler. The groove 131 has a slightly enlarged portion 133 at one end to allow the threaded fitting 118 to fit within.

FIG. 8 shows the second embodiment of the invention 101 where the hose 119 is partially removed from the groove 131. The groove 131 continues around the cooler's circumference.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the second embodiment of the invention 101. The cooler body 102 is being filled with water 181 from a wall mounted water faucet 171. Often, such faucets are positioned too low upon the structure to which they are attached, such as a house or other building, to allow direct filling of the cooler 101. Hoses commonly used with such outdoor faucets 171 are intended for watering plants, and generally contain high levels of plasticizers and other toxic chemicals, including lead, which make them unsuitable for potable water. The hose 119 attachable to the cooler 101, is constructed from a drinking water safe material and allows the cooler to be filled from a faucet 171 positioned lower than the top of the cooler.

FIG. 10 shows a cross section of the cooler 101 being filled from a water faucet 171 mounted to a wall 173. The cooler body 102 inner vertical wall 107 and outer vertical wall 109 may be constructed from an impact resistant plastic forming an interior void 161. The groove 131 has a depth extending towards the inner vertical wall and is sufficiently deep to receive the hose 119. In the preferred embodiment, the groove extends toward the inner wall 107, but does not touch the inner wall 107, allowing insulating space between the inner wall and the groove. Alternatively, the groove and inner wall may touch in at least one point along the groove 131. The void 161 may be filled with an insulating material 163 such as foam, or air. The spiral shape of the groove 131 allows ample space for expanding foam to fill the cavity if injected into the void 161. In the preferred embodiment he groove 131 narrows along the upper outer edge 137 and lower outer edge 135 to allow it to better grip the hose 119. 

1. A water cooler lid for storing a water hose, said water hose having a first end and a second end, comprising: a recessed groove for receiving said water hose; an aperture of sufficient size to receive said first end of said water hose; an elastic member attached to said second end of said water hose whereby said elastic member secures said second end of said water hose to said water cooler lid.
 2. A water cooler lid for storing a water hose; comprising: an vertical cylindrical wall; an upper horizontal wall positioned above said vertical cylindrical wall and extending past said vertical cylindrical wall a lower horizontal wall positioned below said vertical cylindrical wall and extending past said vertical cylindrical wall, the underside of said lower horizontal wall adapted to be removably secured to an insulated water cooler body a recessed groove for receiving said water hose, said vertical cylindrical wall, upper horizontal wall and lower horizontal wall forming three sides of said recessed groove
 3. The water cooler lid in claim 2 further comprising: an elastic member; a first aperture in the top surface of said upper horizontal wall for securing a first end of said elastic member thereto; wherein a second end of said elastic member secures said an end of said water hose to said lid.
 4. The water cooler lid in claim 2 further comprising: an elastic member; a first aperture in the top surface of said upper horizontal wall for securing a first end of said elastic member thereto; a second aperture in said vertical cylindrical wall possessing second aperture for receiving a first end of said water hose; wherein said first end of said water hose is inserted into said second aperture, said water hose may be wrapped around said lid and a second end of said water hose may be secured by said elastic member to said water cooler lid.
 5. The water cooler lid of claim 4 in which said upper horizontal wall contains a notch through which said elastic member may pass allowing said elastic member to secure said hose closer to the center of said lid.
 6. A water cooler having an outer vertical wall, an inner vertical wall and a groove, said groove formed within said outer vertical wall having a depth extending inward toward said inner vertical wall, said groove having a length extending at least partially around the circumference of said water cooler, said groove having a width adapted to allow insertion of a water hose along the length of the groove.
 7. The water cooler of claim 6 wherein said groove length spirally extends around the circumference of said water cooler.
 8. The water cooler of claim 6 wherein said groove possesses a first end having an enlarged width and depth to allow insertion of a threaded hose coupling attached to said hose.
 9. The water cooler of claim 6 wherein said groove possesses a narrower height along said outer vertical wall than the height of the groove between said inner wall and said outer wall.
 10. A method of selling a water cooler, whereby the water cooler is bundled with a length of drinking safe water hose, said hose having at least one end adapted for threading onto a water faucet.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said water hose is attached to the outside of said water cooler.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein said water hose is placed within the interior of said cooler.
 13. The method of claim 10 wherein said method also includes attaching literature to the outside of said cooler, notifying a customer of the inclusion of a drinking safe water hose. 